October 29, 2018

October 26, 2018

Going to the Peripheries…

On October 17 representatives of several Island organizations, MacKillop Centre for Social Justice, Development and Peace and others were on the streets in Charlottetown, Cornwall and Summerside to observe the International Day for Poverty Eradication. I stood on Lower Queen Street in Charlottetown handing out bags containing a post card to the Prime Minister, a refrigerator magnet and a toffee candy to chew on. The post card tells Mr. Trudeau that "We Still Need a Plan" that will be an effective tool to end poverty, food insecurity, and homelessness in Canada. Participants in the campaign will be calling for the federal government to strengthen the newly-released Canadian Poverty Reduction Strategy so that it is comprehensive, rights-based, legislated, and fully-funded.

October 24, 2018

Notre Dame de Bon Secours, Pray for us

This past summer brought not only unusual weather but also destruction and loss of life to many families. With that in mind and after showing our support for Margarita Kindergarten Sports Day, we opened the Provincial Council Meeting. This being the month of the rosary, we read from the Writings of Marguerite Bourgeoys and recalled her experience of conversion on October 7.

October 24, 2018

From Our Leadership Team

Our October meeting was two very full days of reflection--though we did make time to celebrate Sr. Mary Anne Powers’ birthday!

We heartily endorse Sr. Rose Mary Sullivan’s call to recommit ourselves to some aspect of the 2016-2021 Orientation. We hope all Sisters and Associates will let her know which aspect of the Orientation will be their focus for this year. You might consider having a simple ritual for the recommitment. Rose Mary notes that the Associates have already described actions they have taken.

October 23, 2018

“Sparks on Fire” Retreat Held at St Joseph Renewal Centre

St Joseph Renewal Centre in Mabou, NS, welcomed Associates from across the Maritimes on the last weekend in September. Sisters Theresa Sampson, Catherine MacEachern and Isobel McLellan also participated in the Retreat. Sr. Eleanor McCloskey and Associate Coordinator Anna Rowley facilitated the Retreat on the theme of “Sparks of Sacred Fire”. It was a lovely weekend of education, prayer, reflection, discussion, remembering, sharing stories, looking at photos, musical entertainment from the Sisters neighbours (we had a kitchen party!), some square dancing, a visitor and gratitude for our Congregation de Notre-Dame history.

October 22, 2018

CRC Petition

The CRC (Canadian Religious Conference) has been circulating a petition asking that the female superiors general attending the Synod of Bishops on Young People have the same voting rights as have been granted to non-ordained male superiors general. Click on this petition from “Groundswell” to read an explanation and check the groups and organizations supporting the effort. Beginning October 18, the petition will be hand delivered to bishops, cardinals, and all voting members attending the Synod, as well as to Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, Secretary General of the Synod.

October 17, 2018

October 15, 2018

Last June, at the G7 in Halifax, Prime Minister Trudeau announced the Ocean Plastics Charter, a commitment to move towards an international sustainable management of plastics. Environment Minister Catherine McKenna, said “Our commitment is to collect, reuse or recycle, at least 75 per cent of all our plastic waste by 2030.” And “We are going to eliminate unnecessary single-use plastics throughout government operations. So, this includes straws, cutlery, packaging, cups, bottles but it also includes using our purchasing power to ensure that we lead change and we drive sustainable plastics innovation,” she said. “It takes about five seconds to make a plastic bag. We use them for about five minutes. [Then] they last in our environment, in our oceans, for five centuries. Let’s try to find alternatives to single-use plastics in our lives.

October 15, 2018

A warm welcome one and all to join us on Nov. 3rd and 4th to celebrate the foundation of our CND community in Summerside. In a spirit of gratitude to our Summerside benefactors, who throughout the years supported us generously and lovingly, we have organized a variety show to be held at 8 p.m. on Nov. 3rd for the benefit of St. Vincent de Paul Society and the Food Bank. A mass of Thanksgiving will be celebrated at St. Paul’s Church on Sunday, Nov. 4th at 10:30 a.m. followed by dinner at the Convent.

October 12, 2018

St. FX University Sports Hall of Fame Awards

I was happy to be able to go to Antigonish to attend Jane (Hanley) MacGillivray’s induction into the St. FX University Sports Hall of Fame as a "Builder" as she is credited with "building" the women's intercollegiate athletic programs at X. Most of us know that the foundation was laid when she was hired to coach basketball and volleyball and to teach Physical Education in Gilmora Gym and classrooms at what was then "Mount St. Bernard College."

The citation read at her induction by Dr. Peggy Gallant stressed the important role Jane also played in ensuring that the women's programs were deemed "worthy" of being part of the intercollegiate scene. I was pleased that the Sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame were mentioned and it was stated that a member of the Congregation was present and I was named; not that I wanted that! Even if it took 50 years, it was a credit to former team members and other interested X people that this finally happened.

October 9, 2018

The Chofu Convent is now being reconstructed and some of our stained glass windows have been transferred to Tsukuba Church where three CNDs belong. Thus two chapels are united. We affirm that we are certainly the daughters of the Church.

September 24, 2018

Summer’s End at Louisbourg

On September 19, 2018 the staff at Fortress Louisbourg hosted our volunteer review. The stories told, comments made, suggestions and questions were animated and filled with the excitement of the summer and the hopes for next summer. Troy Allen, Product Development Officer, thanked us sincerely for bringing the past into the present; he said that it was such an asset having the congregation of the 18th century present today at the Fortress.

The volunteers talked about being energized by the history, the wonderful response of the visitors, the curiosity of the children, the welcoming staff and their own personal growth and learning over the summer.

Following a pizza lunch we drove out of the Fortress past the majestic ocean with waves delighting in the final winds of Hurricane Florence as she brushed against our shores.

September 19, 2018

“Blessing” is a way of life, a lens through which the whole world is transformed. A blessing promotes protection, healing and creativity in a world sorely in need of wholeness. (John O’Donohue)

Our senior sisters participate in this way of blessing, bringing the needs of the world and all its peoples into the compassion of their hearts. With their unique abilities and the gift of time they are able to bless the lives of others, especially those on the peripheries.

As sisters update and renew their ministry of prayer and presence we acknowledge the way in which they bring the needs of the whole world to God. This expression of mission is a blessing for us all.

September 18, 2018

Child abuse of any kind – physical, sexual, emotional – is unmitigated evil, criminal and mortally sinful. Anyone who knows about it and does nothing is as responsible as the perpetrators. Until we understand the horrendous nature of child abuse and respond in a morally responsible way, we, as a society, are shirking our duty to protect our children.

Most abuse of children happens in private. The perpetrator usually threatens to harm the child or his family if he or she tells anyone about it. Perpetrators also insidiously convince the children it is their own fault that they are being abused, telling them that they like it or deserve it.

September 17, 2018

150th Anniversary of CNDs in Waterbury: Just as five Congregation de Notre-Dame Sisters came from Montreal on September 8,1869, this time four CND Sisters – Ona Bessette (Waterbury Catholic HS 1973), Ercilia Ferrera Erazo (Honduras), Sophie Christine Mbougoum (Cameroon) and Jeanne Bonneau – made that same journey to be with us on September 8, 2018 for the inauguration of a year of celebration. What joyous Visitations ensued! We were so very happy that so many CND Sisters journeyed to Waterbury to participate in our CND liturgy and Meet & Greet afterwards.

September 14, 2018

Kingston Sisters Experience Internationality: This summer, the newer members of the Congregation de Notre-Dame (CND) from Central America, Cameroon, Japan and North America came to Canada for the opportunity to learn and foster intercultural relationships among themselves and to be in touch with the roots of the CND Community. They, and the sisters accompanying them, were at Providence Motherhouse on July 10. It was a first time ever for the CND Sisters of Kingston.

September 7, 2018

St Joseph Convent and Renewal Centre Open House

Submitted by Marjorie Allison-Ross

On Sunday, August 5, Visitation Province Leadership Team and CND Sisters invited people to an Open House to say good-bye to the building and mission of the Congregation de Notre Dame Sisters in Mabou, Cape Breton. The Sisters arrived in 1887 and are now closing their mission in October 2018, 131 years later. So many people have been impacted by their presence in this wonderful part of the world. The Sisters ministered to the people of Mabou and surrounding communities through teaching, hospitality, friendship, facilitating retreats and supporting the people in their faith.